Safety device for use with ladders



May 15, 1951 J. G. CADUFF ETAL SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE WITH mum-ms 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1947 r i m0. E E. NM T H m m U W y 1951 J.G. CADUFF ETAL 2,

SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE WITH LADDERS Filed Aug. 25, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 21 INVENTOR. 3 JflH/V 5- LWDUFF BY JOHN B- mum-r EE- 8 i a W nrz;

Patented May 15, 1951 SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE WITH LADDERS John G. Caduffand John B. Caduff, Cleveland, Ohio Application August 23, 1947, SerialNo. 770,210

Claims.

This invention relates in general to fire escapes and, moreparticularly, to stationary fire escapes of the type attached to theoutside of buildings. Present day fire escapes of this type consist oflight iron ladders with landings attached to the building, are high incost and maintenance, and ugly and offensive in appearance, therefore,these fire escapes are generally arranged in inconspicuous places notwell suited for their purpose.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of animproved stationary fire escape including in combination ladder meanswith concealed pivotally supported folding steps and guided, shiftablesupporting devices constructed to be automatically arrested when loadedin excess of predetermined loads.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedstationary fire escape including in combination ladder means withconcealed pivotally supported, upwardly folding steps, means forshifting the steps into operative and inoperative positions, andsupporting devices shiftably arranged in vertical guide means andconstructed to be automatically locked in their guide means when loadedin excess of predetermined loads.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedstationary fire escape including in combination ladder means withconcealed, pivotally supported, upwardly folding steps, shiftablesupporting devices, and guiding means for said devices, the supportingdevices being constructed to be automatically locked in said guidingmeans when the devices are loaded in excess of predetermined loads.

In addition, the invention has certain other marked superiorities whichradically distinguish it from presently known structures. Theseimprovements or superiorities embodying certain novel features ofconstruction are clearly set forth in.the following specification andthe appended claims; and a preferred form of embodiment of the inventionis shown with reference to the accompanying drawing forming part of thespecification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation, partly broken away, of astationary fire escape constructed in accordance with the invention,show ing the steps of the ladder portion of the fire escape in folded upposition.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, showing the steps of theladder portion of the fire escape in opened up position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.-

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section, of thestationary fire escape showing the operating means for shifting thesteps of the ladder portion to folded up and opened up posi-' tion.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the worm drive ar rangement actuating theoperating means disclosed in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a'fragmentary cross-sectional view through the fire escapeshowing in elevation in its guide channel the safety supporting member.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side View, partly in section, of the fire escapeshowing in side elevation in its guide channel the safety supportingmember in wedged in position effected by excessive load.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a skyscraper with a fire escapearrangement embodying the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view through a stationary fire escapeconstruction with heating outlets arranged therein.

Referring now in detail to the exemplified form of the invention shownin the drawings, reference numeral 2 denotes an elongated fire escapestructure provided with vertically arranged parallel front and rearchannels 3 and 4. This structure embodies two sections, one of which isassembled from oppositely arranged side panels 5 and U-shaped bracketmembers 5, and the other one of which consists of an elongated plate 1'and angularly shaped, flanged side members 8, the sections being securedtogether and to each other by rivets 9 and bolts 9. The bracket membersspace the side panels with respect to each other and include in theirweb portions [0 perforations H permitting attachment of the fire escapestructure to a Wall [2 by bolts M or in any other suitable manner.

The fire escape structure 2 pivotally supports in bearings l5 secured tothe inner faces of side panels 5 steps I6 which in their folded up position are arranged within rear channel 4 and in their opened up positionextend through slots I! in side panels 5. These steps, which are bestdescribed as lever members pivoted between their opposite ends tobearings I5, have inner end portions l8 angularly slotted at l9, andthese slotted end portions are coupled with a vertically shiftableoperating member 29 effecting shifting of steps l6 into opened up andclosed position, when such member is shifted upwardly or downwardly.Member 20 is assembled from tubular sections 2| connected with eachotherby longitudinally slotted coupling members 22 which are secured tothe respective tube sections by rivets 23. Coupling members 22 arearranged opposite the steps 16 so that the slots 24 of members 22 alignwith the slotted end portions I8 of the steps. The end portions I 8 ofsteps 16 extend into the slot of the respective coupling member and arecoupled with each other and said coupling members by pins 25. Slottedend portions also include lateral extensions 28 which cooperate with theside plates in arresting excessive movement of steps 16 when in openedup position.

Member 20 is shifted by a chain drive 21 including a chain 28 coupledwith theupper end of member 20 and a chain 29 coupled with the lower endof said member. The chains28and'29 engage sprocket gears 30 and 3!. andare connected to each other by a cable 32. Sprocket gear 30 is freelyrotatably mounted on a shaft 33 and. sprocket gear 3|, the driver, iskeyed to a drive shaft 34 which is coupled with a worm drive 35embodyinga wormgear section as keyed to shaft 34 and a manuallyrotatable worm shaft 3'! engaging worm gear section 35. The .worm shaft31 is axially extended and carries a handwheel 39 facilitating manualrotation of the worm shaft. The worm section 36 includes a peripherallyslotted disc 40 which cooperates with a spring-pressed plunger 4| tolock the Worm gear section 36 and therewith operating member 29 inpredetermined positions. Plunger 4| is unlocked by shifting of operatingshaft 42 coupled with plunger 4| by a lever 43.

The front channel 3 of the fire escape structure 2 forms guiding meansfor a shiftable safety supporting device 44 safeguarding a persondescending the unfolded steps 1 6 of the fire escape structure. Thissupporting device has attached thereto a safety belt 45 and embodies acylindrically shaped body member 45 provided with a 'rectangularlyshaped base portion 41. This base portion isdlfllEiIlSiQHEdTtOfillCl'lflllIlEl 3 when in one position and to befreely extended into or removed from said channel through slot 43 in theflanged longitudinally slotted front wall of the channel when rotated toanother position.

The supporting device 4 1 supports at its outer end a swivel member 49mounting safety belt'45 and slidably and non-rotatably supports on itscylindrical bod member 46 a collar member 5!] having laterally spacedguide plates 5! which are spaced to engage the outer faces of flanges 52of angularly shaped members 8. The collar member is slidably andnon-rotatably interlocked withsupporting device 45 by a pin 53 extendedthrough a slot 56 in the cylindrical body member 46 and is forced towardits base portion 4! by a compression spring 55 so that-guide plates 5|of the supporting. :device when arranged in channel 3 engage the outerfaces of flanges 52 :and prevent rotation of such supporting device.Removal 'of the device from front channel and extension of such deviceinto "said channel can be effected when collar member with guide plates5| is shifted against the tension of compression spring by means of across member 560m the collar'member, the cross member'forming a handgripfacilitatingsuch shifting.

The compression spring 55 is dimensioned to I draw the rectangularlyshaped base portion El of supporting device 35 into engagement with theinside face of front channel 3 and permit sliding of said base portionin said channel when the supporting device is pulled downward withslight force. However, any sudden pull of substantial force on safetybelt 25, such as for example effected by the weight of a personstumbling while descending the steps of the fire escape structure,

The described fire escape structure is preferably manufactured insections readily to be secured to the wall of a building by bolts Mattaching for example U-shaped bracket members 6 to anchor plates-51 inthe wall of such building. A

thus constructed stationary fire escape does not interfere withthe-architectural design of a building, as the steps are generally fullyconcealed, but will give highest efficiency as such steps are readilyand easily shifted from their concealed position to working position,.andas the .shiftable safety supporting devices altov easily engagedwith or disengaged from the front channel 3 of the fire escape. Ifclimatic conditions require, the channel structure of the disclosed fireescapemay readily be heated to avoid corrosion or forming of ice inchannels 3 and '4, all as indicated in Fig. 9 of the drawings showinghot air outlets 59 in rear channel 5, which are in communication througha pipe 6% with a hot air distributing system, not shown. 7

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a ladder-like fire escape a vertically-en tended, hollowguidemember of U-shaped cross section having inwardly turned edgeportions to provide said member with a front wall having an elongated,vertical slot therein. an elongated supporting member having at its oneend a head portion slidably arranged in said guide member, said headportion having elongated cross section dimensioned to permit in onepredetermined position inserting of the head portion through said slotinto said guide member and in another predetermined position retainingof said head portion in said guide member, said head portion,furthermore, having a height dimensioned to effect jamming of the headportion in said guide member when such head :portion is in its-otherpredetermined position and tilted with respect to said guide member, andmeans shiftably mounted-on said supporting memberand cooperatingwithsaid guide :member adapted to prevent rotation of the headportionofsaidsupporting member whensuchlhead portion is placed in the said otherone predetermined position.

2. In a ladder-like fire escape a vertically extended hollow guidemember of U-shaped cross section having'inwardly itnrn'ed 'edge portionsto to effect jamming of said head portion in said guide member when saidhead portion is in its other predetermined position'and tilted withrespect to said'guide-member, andspringecontrolledmeansslidably-mountedeonsaidsupportingmember and adapted to yieldingl-yshift said supporting member so that its head portion engages the insideface of the slotted front wall of the guide member when the head portionof said supporting member is positioned within said guide 1nember.

3. A fire escape as described in claim 2, wherein the said verticallyextended guide member ineludes flanges outwardly extended from the saidelon ated vertical slot, wherein said springcontrolled means areslidably mounted on said supporting member, wherein a compression springforces said spring-controlled means toward the head portion of saidsupporting member, and wherein said spring-controlled means includesspaced means adapted to engag said flanges and prevent rotation of thesaid head portion when same is yieldingly forced into contact with theslotted front wall of said guide member.

4. A fire escape as described in claim 2, wherein said verticallyextended guide member includes flanges outwardly extended from the edgesof elongated vertical slot, wherein said spring-corrtrolled means onsaid elongated supporting member includes axially shiftable guide meansyield- M ingly shifted by a compression spring mounted on saidsupporting member toward the head portion of said supporting member,said shiftable guide means consisting of spaced plates having a heightgreater than the height of said vertical flanges to effect yieldingclamping engagement of the head portion of said supporting member withthe inside face of the slotted front wall of the guide member.

5. In a ladder-like fire escape a vertically extended hollow guidemember of U-shaped cross section having inwardly turned edge portions toprovide the guide member with a front wall having an elongated verticalslot therein, an elongated supporting member removably eX- tended withits one end into said guide member and vertically shiftahly arrangedwith respect thereto, said guide member including at said one end a headportion of elongated, rectangular cross section, dimensioned to permitin one predetermined position free inserting of said head portionthrough said slot into said guide memher and in another predeterminedposition retaining of said head portion in said guide memher, said headportion having a height dimensioned to effect jamming of the headportion in said guide member when such head portion is in its otherpredetermined position and tilted with respect to said guide member, andspring-controlled shiftable means on said supporting member adapted tocooperate with the said guide member in yieldingiy shifting saidsupporting member so that the rear face of said head portion contactsthe inside face of the slotted front wail of the guide member, and meanson said shiftable means cooperating with said guide member in preventingaxial rotation of the head portion of aid supporting member when itshead portion is positioned to be retained in said guide member.

JOHN G. CADUFF. JOHN B. CADU'F-F.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,313,444 Witherow Aug. 19, 19191,916,208 Diou July 4, 1933 1,927,469 Plumpton Sept. 19, 1933 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 190,382 Switzerland July 1, 1937

